Nut-tapping machine.



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1,230,931 Patented June 26, 1917.

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W. E. SHARP.

NUT '[APPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1913.

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' Patented June 26,

Q1 an W. E. SHARP.

NUT TAPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8. 1913.

1,230,931 Patented June 26, 1917.

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WILLIAM E. SHARP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,. ASSIGNOR TO GRIP NUT COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

NUT-TAPPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1917.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. SHARP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Tapping Machines, of which the followingis a description.

My invention belongs to that general class of devices known as nut tapping machines,

and relates particularly to an improved ma-.

' continuously operated without the constant attention of an operator.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims. I

In the drawings,

characters indicate like or corresponding parts, p

' Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 1s a rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is substantially a sectional view taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 4, 4 of Fig. 3; i

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5, 5 of Fig.3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 6, 6 of Fig. 3, and 1 Fig. 7 is a sectional View through the hopper.

1, having the desired number of spindles 2, which are driven in any suitable manner, as shown, by a driving shaft 3, and by a gear and worm 5 and 6 respectively on each spindle. The shaft 3 is driven by the pulleys 4 (see Fig. 2) or the equivalent. Secured to the spindle .2 is a chuck 8, which carries a tap 9, having the usual form of cutting tool 10. This chuck and tap are of a preferred form, and are constructed so that'the nuts are fed to the tap at the cutting tool end, and thence discharged over the other end of the tap, and conveyed to suitable receiving receptacles, the tapping operation being continuous. With this forn of tap and chuck, the nuts passing along the tap are employed in centering the tap and maintaining and supporting it in operative position in the chuck. Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the chuck is provided with an opening 11 therethrough, which extends parallel, or 1n 'aliner'nent, with th spindle 2, and is then transversely offsetor bent at an angle, and extended to the exterior of the chuck at one side, providing a discharge openlng for the nuts. The nuts 12 on the shank of the tap while in the chuck, center the tap in the chuck, and prevent its dropping out, the bent portions of the tap and bent aperture through the chuck causing the tapto wherein like referenc rotate with the spindle in the usual manner.

The frame is provided with afeeding plate or table 14, upon which the nuts are fed, and from which they are successively lifted into engagement with the tap.

As most clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7 the frame 1 carries a hopper 16, into wh1ch the nuts. which are to be tapped are placed.

Extending from the hopper 16 is a chute 15, which is preferably twisted or formed so as to discharge the nuts upon the table 14, as is shown in Fig. 3. The nuts are fed or pushed-into the chute by the agitating members 17, which are carried on a shaft 18, which shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 19. Arrangedto cooperate with the ratchet wheel is a pawl 21, carried by the arm 20, which arm is rocked on the shaft 18 by a rod 22, connected by an eccentric 26, or an equivalent, to the shaft 3. The rod 22 1S preferably resiliently or yieldingly connected to the arm 20, so as to prevent breakage.

in case of the nuts jamming or preventing v movement of the agitator arms, as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a spring 25, arranged between a collar 24, secured to the rod, and a bracket 23 secured to the arm 20, through which the rod 22 is slidable. As is obvious, as the shaft 3 is rotated through the mechanism described, the shaft 18 is rotated in a plurality of steps, so that the nuts are continually agitated and fed into the chute 15.

On the table or plate 14 are arranged two members 28, preferably provided with shoulders 29. These members center the nuts under the tap, and also prevent the rotation of the nuts during the tapping operation. As most clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6, they are connected to the bed plate through the members 30, and are to a certain extent somewhat yieldable, so as to prevent serious damage to the machine in case of any of the nuts jamming during the tapping or feeding. This also allows atake-11p for wear.

Referring to Fig. 3, a vertically movable member 31 is arranged directly below the tap, and movable between the members 28 a distance suflicient to lift the nut carriage thereby into operative engagement with the tap, that is, with the thread cutting tool at the end. After the cutting tool has engaged the nut a sufficient distance, the cutting tool tends to force the nut upwardly, since the nuts are prevented from rotating with the tap, and themember 31 is retrieved, or drops to pick up another nut. The member 31 is carried by an arm or lever 32, preferably having a forked end 33, so as to embrace and carry the member 31. The lever 32 is pivotally secured at 34 to a bracket 35 carried by the frame, and its end 36 extended to cooperate with an actuating member 45. As shown in Fig. 3, the member 45 is slidably carried in a part 37 secured by bracket 38 to the frame 1. This bracket carries a shaft 39, to which is secured a cam 40, arranged to coact with a roll 42 on a part 43, carried by part 37. Arranged between the members 43 and 45 is a spring 44, or its equivalent. As is obvious, as the shaft 39 is rotated, carrying with it the cam 40, it depresses member 43, and with it member 45, the spring being sufficiently stifi' so that members 43 and 45 normally work as one piece. Depressing the end of lever 36, raises the member 31, and with it the nut which has been fed down upon it from the chute. As soon as the nut has been engaged by the tap, member 31 is retrieved to substantially flush with the bed plate 14, at which time the weight of the nuts in the chute 15 tends to force or carry a new nut on the member. Shaft 39 may be operated in any desired manner; as shown in Fig. 1, it is provided with a sprocket wheel 47 which is connected by a chain 48, or its equivalent, to the sprocket wheel 49, which is secured to the shaft 50, or to sprocket wheel 51. This sprocket wheel is driven by a chain 52, or the equivalent, from the sprocket wheel 53, carried on shaft 3.

Any suitable means may be provided for carrying the nuts to the desired point after they have been discharged in. the chuck. As shown, I surround each chuck 8 by a casing 55, having a bottom terminating-in a chute or slide 56, from which the tapped nuts may be discharged into a keg or other receptacle. As shown in Fig. 3, the receptacle 55 is provided with an opening 57 one side for the discharge of the nuts therefrom. It may be mentioned that the chuck and tap and other parts may be interchanged with others for tapping nuts of different sizes.

In the operation of the machine, the nuts are fed from the hopper 16 into the chute 15, as described, and thence successively lifted by member 31 to engagement with the cutting tool 10 on the tap 9. As soon as the nut has been engaged by the cutting .tool, since it is prevented from rotating, it is drawn upwardly and tapped,

and passes along the shank of the tap into and through the chuck, pushing the nuts above along the shank-until'it is finally discharged from the chuck into the receptacle 55, and thence discharged down the chute 56 into the desired receptacles. All that is required is for an operator to place the nuts in the hopper 16, and remove the tapped nuts from time to time that are discharged from the chute 56, and those two operations may even be done automatically if so desired. Where a number of spindles are employed upon the machine, the machine may be arranged so as to discharge the untapped nuts from one hopper to the respective chutes, and discharge the tapped nuts from their several receptacles 55 into a common receptacle. It is not considered, however, that this need be shown in detail.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifica-- tions may be made in the same without departing from the spiritof my invention; hence I do not' wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement or combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

-1. In a nut tapping machine, a suitable frame provided with a rotatable spindle carried thereby, driving means for the spindle,

a tap suitably carried by the spindle, and means for feeding the nuts to the tap, comprising a vertically movable member positioned below the tap and extending through an openingin the table and upon which the nuts rest, a lever pivotally secured to the frame and operatively connected wlth sa d member, a shaft, a cam arranged on said shaft, and intermediate means between the cam and the free end of the lever, consisting of two independent block members being spaced from each other and separated by a spring, one of said blocks being driven by the cam and the other being operatively connected to the end of the lever.

2. In a device of the kind described, means for successively feeding the nuts into engagement with a tap comprising a movable part adapted to form a support for the nuts and by its movement to present the nuts successively to the tap by elevating said nuts in combination with a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends upon a frame, with one end thereof forked and having its separated arms engaging the movable nut supporting part, the other end of the lever being engaged by a sliding block, a resilient member overlying the sliding block, a second sliding block spaced from the first mentioned sliding block and resting upon the opposite end of the resilient member, a shaft overlying said second sliding block and a cooperating cam mounted on the shaft against which the second sliding block rides whereby each rotation of the shaft is resiliently transmitted to the movable nut. supporting part.

3. In a nut tapping machine, a suitable frame provided with a rotatable spindle carried thereby, means for driving said spindle, a tap carried by the spindle, means for feeding nuts to the tap, comprising a movable member positioned below the tap constituting a rest for said nuts and adapted to elevate the same, a lever pivotally secured to the frame and connected with the nut feeding member for elevating the nuts, a shaft, a cam carried by the shaft and intermediate means between the cam and lever comprising two independent slidable blocks spaced from each other, a coil spring interposed between said blocks to separate the same and permit movement thereof relative to each other, one

of said blocks being engaged by the cam, and the other block resting on the end of the lever whereby movement is transmitted to the movable nut part on the rotation of the cam.

4. In a device of the kind described, means for successively feeding the nuts into engagement with a tap comprising a movable part adapted by its movement to present the nuts to the tap, in combination with a lever pivoted upon the frame with one end having an operative engagement with the movable part, the other end being engaged by a sliding block in resilient connection with a second independent block, the said blocks adapted to be spaced from each other, a shaft arranged near said second block, a

cooperating cam mounted thereon, and a roller carried by the second block against which the cam rides upon the rotation of the shaft to actuate the nut feeding part.

5. In a nut tapping machine, a suitable frame provided with a rotatable spindle carried thereby, driving means for the spindle, a tap carried by the spindle, and means for feeding nuts to the tap, comprising a movable member arranged adjacent the tap, a lever pivotally secured to the frame and operatively connected 'with said member, a shaft, a bracket having a forked lower end and a socket therein carried by the frame, a shaft supported by said bracket, a cam on said shaft, and intermediate means between the free end of the lever and cam consisting of two independent block members slidably arranged within the socket in the bracket and a spring interposed between said block members, one of the block members being engaged by the cam and the other being operatively connected to the end of the lever whichis positioned between the arms of the forked end of the bracket, substantially as described.

6. In a nut tapping machine, a frame, a spindle carried thereby, a tap carried by the spindle, means for moving the nuts into engagement with the tap comprising a movable part adapted by its movement to present the nuts successively to the taps, a lever pivotally supported upon the frame having one of its ends engaging the movable part, a bracket having a socket therein secured to the frame, independent slidable blocks arranged in the socket in the bracket, a resilient means interposed between said blocks to separate the same, a shaft, and a cam on said shaft engaging one of the blocks whereby each rotation of the shaft transmits movement to the nut feeding part.

7. In a device of the kind described, means for successively feeding nuts into engagement with a tap comprising a movable part adapted to present the nuts to the tap, in combination with a lever, means supporting the lever whereby one end is in engagement with the movable nut supporting part, the other end of the lever contacting with a slidable member, a resilient means against which said member rests, a second member spaced from the first mentioned member and overlying the resilient means, and means engaging said second member for intermittently shifting the lever.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two sub- ROY W. HILL, CHARLES I. COBB. 

